The winger initially struggled following his January move from Tottenham Hotspur but he has begun to shine under maager Rafa Benitez in recent weeks.

Last weekend saw Townsend do just that, as a super free-kick sealed a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace to move his side out of the bottom three.

That has already prompted talk of a potential England return, with Danny Murphy telling BBC Sportthat he should be in contention if the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Raheem Sterling are being considered.

But how does Townsend compare to those three players so far this season? Well Oulala looked at the stats and made a surprising discovery.

As the stats show, the Magpies star has been in much better form than the aforementioned trio in several areas.

He has four goals to his name, which is the same amount that the other three have all managed combined.

He also has two assists, this time more than his rivals, who so far have not managed one between them.

In terms of passing he is again on top, registering more key passes per game and more successful passes than Walcott and Sterling. Oxlade Chamberlain is level on 1.9 per game.

The Newcastle winger is also on top in the defensive stats, coming out on top in regards to both tackles and interceptions.

Sean Lunt

Sean Lunt is a Journalism and Spanish graduate with a passion for football. As an avid Everton fan he has survived the Walter Smith era, enjoyed the resurgence under David Moyes and is now wholly embracing the Spanish revolution with Roberto Martinez. Away from Everton he follows the rest of the football league and has a particular interest in La Liga.